The Vietnamese IT company FPT and Nvidia, a global leader in semiconductor chip production, said they would be collaborating to finance and build a $200 million artificial intelligence (AI) factory in Vietnam.

In a joint statement on April 23, the companies said their initiative aims to create a “one-stop shop” for all things AI and cloud computing in Vietnam. Its targets include AI products, GPU infrastructure, tech experts and domain expertise for local clients.

FPT plans to invest funds in the AI factory, which will serve as a “sovereign cloud,” while Nvidia will supply its latest tech. This will include its AI enterprise software and frameworks, along with Nvidia H100 Tensor Core GPUs.

According to the statement, FPT aims to establish Vietnam as an “AI hub of the world” and turn the country into an AI nation while accelerating the adoption of AI applications in neighboring countries such as Japan and Korea. 

Keith Strier, the vice president for Worldwide AI for Nvidia, said that AI has the potential to “improve lives and strengthen the economies of every nation” through accelerating innovation in various fields such as healthcare, agriculture, climate and manufacturing.

The factory will provide cloud GPU services to corporate customers of FPT to accelerate the capabilities and speed of AI applications, as well as offer end-to-end generative AI services.

Additionally, Nvidia’s programs will be incorporated into the educational curriculum and activities, training programs, and lab facilities at universities and high schools around the country. The statement said that over the ne at least 30,000 students will be reached by the initiative. 

In December 2023, the CEO of Nvidia announced that the company had plans to expand partnerships in Vietnam with the intention of attracting local talent in the AI industry.

Before that, in September 2023, the United States and Vietnam entered into business agreements and partnerships worth billions of dollars to further AI-related cooperation, focusing on strengthening the semiconductor supply chain.

During this meeting, heads of major tech companies working in the AI space were present, including Nvidia, Microsoft and Google. 

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